Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 25-year-old woman is evaluated during a follow-up visit for a 6-month history of diffuse muscle and joint pain above and below the waist, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. She has a 2-year history of hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine. Her only other medication is hydrocodone-acetaminophen, which has …
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 42-year-old woman is evaluated for a 3-month history of progressive cervical lymphadenopathy, fatigue, night sweats, bilateral lower-extremity and abdominal wall edema, and a 4.5-kg (10.0-lb) weight gain. History is significant for three episodes of weight gain and facial and lower-extremity edema lasting 4 weeks in …
A recent study confirmed that the doctor’s office may be one of the worst places to determine if your blood pressure is under control. The automatic rise in tension many people experience when they are being scrutinized contributes to artificially high blood pressure readings. Although many times the only way improve one’s blood pressure is through treatment (such as medication, a low salt diet, and weight loss), other times …
Before going any further, the title to a Los Angeles Times story was “Adele to have surgery to treat vocal cord hemorrhage. What is it?”
I sincerely hope that whomever her surgeon is knows not to perform surgery when the vocal cord is in the middle of a hemorrhage. You do the surgery when the hemorrhage is gone and the culprit blood vessel is left behind which likely is the reason …
Recently, the media has reported that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has broadened its 2000-2001 guidelines for the diagnosis of and treatment of ADHD. While the prior guidelines focused on children from ages 6 to 12, the new guidelines cover ages 4 to 18. The story is being covered by the media with lead-ins such as saying that AAP is “expanding the age range for diagnosis and treatment.”
This is …
When they first discovered the tumor in his pancreas in October 2003, his doctors told him an immediate operation was necessary, and could lead to a cure.
As first reported by Peter Elkind in 2008, Jobs decided to think different, declined surgery, and explored alternative medicine treatments for his disease.
Nine months later, in July 2004, the tumor had grown. Only then would he allow his doctors to operate.
Would Steve Jobs be alive today had he consented to surgery when they first discovered …
One of the saddest, but more treatable, causes of hair loss in patients is trichotillomania, the impulse control disorder in which a person repeatedly pulls out hair from their body for non-cosmetic reasons. While some people have never even heard of trichotillomania, according to the Trichotillomania Learning Center, as many as ten million Americans (or 4% of the U.S. population) suffer from the disorder.
According to the Diagnositic and Statistical Manual …
Under current guidelines from the American Stroke Association, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, commonly known as a “clot buster” drug) should be administered within 3-4.5 hours of “last seen normal” – and 1 hour of patient arrival – to potentially ameliorate a new onset stroke. (“Last seen normal” means exactly what it says. A patient who went to bet at 10 PM and awoke with slurred speech at 6 AM was …
Susan Freinkel is the author of the new book, Plastic: A Toxic Love Story.
She was kind enough to answer some health related questions about plastic based on her research for her book.
Is all plastic toxic?
There are lots of different kinds of plastic and some may pose more of a health hazard than others. The two experts are most worried about are:
Polycarbonate, a hard, clear plastic …
Patricia Daly, FACP, of Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, Va., told us about the case of a 49-year-old man who presented with marked weight loss. A year prior, the patient had weighed about 220 pounds and intentionally put himself on a diet, but after losing 45 pounds, he developed poor appetite and early satiety.
He continued to lose weight to a nadir of 143 pounds. He found it increasingly difficult …
As the new school year begins, it’s only natural that there’s more awareness about learning and behavior issues. One of the most controversial topics that came up frequently is ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s thought that 2-4% of children have this condition, and a shocking 50% of children with this condition are on some form of prescription medication. Not only is it seen in children, but adults …
Golfer Phil Mickelson has had a rough year and a half. First, his wife and mother are diagnosed with breast cancer, and then he has a health scare of his own. Last year, after the US Open, Mickelson began to experience some troublesome symptoms.
In an interview with Extra’s AJ Calloway, Mickelson opened up about what was going on: “After the U.S. Open last year, I wasn’t able to …
A major innovation are the recent reports of success in replacing or repairing diseased or damaged aortic or mitral valves via catheter-based techniques instead of open surgery.
Mitral regurgitation is when the valve becomes unable to close tightly. Once the regurgitation becomes sufficiently severe to cause heart failure, the death rate reaches about 5% per year. Most such individuals are referred for cardiac surgery to either try to repair the valve, …
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It is a big bummer to be an asthmatic. Not only is breathing a problem, but even the treatment for asthma can cause problems.
Take for example steroid inhalers like Advair, Symbicort, fluticasone, etc.
All asthma patients know to rinse their mouth out after inhaler use due to risk of oral thrush, but what about from the back of the mouth down to the vocal cords? This nether region can’t be …
With the advancement in healthcare and technology we are able to greatly extend the life expectancy of the population. For the healthcare provider that means that more elderly patients and patients with multiple chronic medical conditions are being admitted to the hospital. Some “complex” patients require a multidisciplinary approach with the involvement of multiple consultants.
As a primary attending physician for the patient you often have to deal with contradictory …
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
An 89-year-old woman is evaluated for dizziness that she has had for the past year, mainly while standing and ambulating. The dizziness is described as a sense of unsteadiness. The symptoms can last for minutes to hours, and she has at least 4 to 5 episodes …
There are some important new recommendations about tonsillectomy — taking out the tonsils — as a treatment for recurrent strep throats.
Some of us can recall a time when getting your tonsils out was one of the rites of passage of childhood. Usually a related procedure is added — an adenoidectomy, removing the adenoids as well. It’s called a T&A in the medical world, and it’s one of the …
Doctors use laboratory values to interpret your medical condition. With respect to kidney disease, the BUN and the creatinine help your nephrologist (as well as your internist and family physician) determine if your kidneys are working correctly. These two tests are commonly ordered for many reasons and are invaluable tools to help your doctor assess your condition. Let’s define what BUN (pronounced by spelling out the letters “B”, “U”, …
For most women, a couple of irregular menstrual cycles or an occasional yeast infection are just a part of life — nothing that time or simple treatment won’t cure.
However, there are a few symptoms that warrant a call to the doctor. This article will cover when you should call your doctor for problems “down there”?
1. Pelvic pain. Pain at the time of ovulation is referred to as Mittelschmerz. However, if …
A recent issue of Pediatrics includes a new report detailing the need for doctors to improve patient teaching about fever and fever-reducing drugs.
Many parents fear their child getting a fever or have “fever phobia.” I certainly can understand why. Kids can do crazy things when they get fevers. They don’t sleep well, eat poorly, and behave strangely. Some children …
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